Toasters: 2-Slice, 4-Slice and Long-Slot Toasters

One of our strongest picks is the Breville BTA720XL Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster, a standout in our Best 2-Slice Toasters list. The West Bend 4-Slice Extra-Wide Toaster is another excellent choice.

Start with your main use and budget, then compare our shortlists: Best 2-Slice Toasters, Best Toasters Under $50, Best Toasters of 2026.

Wide slots fit bagels.

For most couples: yes. Two slices per cycle accommodates both people in one toast (standard meals) or allows sequential toasting without a long wait. The exception: weekend brunch where both people want toast, eggs, and avocado simultaneously, the 2-slice toaster requires one person to wait 1 to 2 minutes for the second batch while the first person's toast cools. For weekday mornings where the cycle time does not matter: 2-slice is adequate. For weekend brunch for two that must all be ready simultaneously: a 4-slice toaster or a 2-slice with a parallel toaster is more practical.

Long-slot 2-slice toasters (KitchenAid KMT2116, Smeg long-slot) accommodate toast that is up to 12 inches long, allowing toasting of baguette slices and longer sandwich loaf slices that would not fit horizontally in standard 7-inch slots. Standard slots: approximately 7 inches long, accommodating standard sandwich bread and most artisan loaves. For standard bread use: standard slot length is adequate. For sourdough boules or baguette pieces: a long-slot 2-slice is the solution.

The Breville BTA720XL has 1.5-inch wide slots, the widest standard available in a consumer 2-slice toaster. The KitchenAid KMT2116 long-slot also accommodates thick bread at similar width. Standard slots: approximately 1.0 to 1.25 inches. Budget toasters: 0.85 to 1.0 inches, not suitable for artisan bread, thick-cut homemade bread, or most bagels without compression.

For standard sandwich bread (3/4-inch thick) and basic toasting: yes, with some accepted limitations.

Neither matches the Breville's precision (the Breville's advantage is most apparent at extreme settings, very light and very dark, where budget toasters produce inconsistent results), but for the standard 3 to 4 range where most people toast: the West Bend and Cuisinart compact come closest.